Can Philip Rivers continue this pace?
By Ernie Padaon
Can Philip Rivers carry the San Diego Chargers into the playoffs? Can he carry this team on his back and get the team rolling with some wins?
Even a 500 yard performance from Philip was unable to get a win for the San Diego Chargers. What else does Philip have to do?
It is easily apparent that the San Diego Chargers rely on Philip Rivers to play like a superhero week in and week out. If he doesn’t reach that level, this team is not even close to winning games. When the Chargers win, Philip is up for player of the week awards. He has to play at that level in order to make it happen.
How long can Philip maintain this pace? He seems to be our only hope at the moment and the offense is built for him. The offensive line cannot run block worth crap at the moment, so the team has no choice to put the ball in the air. Melvin Gordon can’t find a hole to run through and when he does we all worry that the ball will be on the ground. What is the team supposed to do?
Danny Woodhead is the best option in the backfield for the Chargers at the moment and the team will lean on passing the ball with him in the game with an occasional draw play up the middle. Woodhead gives Philip more time to throw the ball and will also give Philip the quick dump pass for positive yards.
Philip has quick receivers that can get open at the snap of the football to open the quick passing attack. He has Antonio Gates as the safety net and Ladarius Green is proving to be a nice option over the top.
Philip does have the players around him and the offensive line is getting healthier. The pace that he already has started is scorching fire and the schedule seems to ease up a bit. We could see Philip making a run, but any quarterback that tosses that ball around this much will make a mistake from time to time. If the Chargers finally can get a lead, the team will not have to let it fly over 60 times a game.
This team will lean on Philip as much as they can, but at some point, this run game needs to come alive. We are going to need this team to control the clock and the best way to do that is with the run game. It can be Melvin Gordon or Branden Oliver, whoever is producing is the person that should get the ball.
More from Bolt Beat
- LA Chargers: 3 early takeaways from 2021 minicamp thus far
- LA Chargers: Drue Tranquill takes a jab at Gus Bradley’s defense
- LA Chargers second-year players: Nothing lose and a lot to gain
- LA Chargers: Why running back could be a big issue for the Bolts
- LA Chargers: Chris Rumph’s upside is Melvin Ingram-like, but better